Control device for radio receivers



Jan. 16, 1945. J. MATT ,GONTROL DEVICE FOR RADIO RECEIVERS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filedv Sept. 26, 1941 h b J 8 8 v hwfig W V v "p G INVENTOR. I .ioJip/ 7,472" w $kkwku$l ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1945. J T 2,367,363

CONTROL DEVICE FOR RADIO RECEIVERS Filed Sept. 26, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTR. Joana/47 477. WQ.MQ&

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 16, 1945.

RADIO PUSH BU'ITON CONTROL OFF]. 2

IIIEIIIIEIIIBIIIEIIIHIIISI II5-IINIIIDIIIEIIIE'IIIISIIIIDIIIDIII: IIINIIIHIIIBIIIEIIIISIIIDIIIJIIIEIIII: IIIEl-NI-IDI-IDIIIEIIIIGIIIIIIIBIII! J. MATT 2,367,363

CONTROL DEVIGE FOR RADIO RECEIVERS Filed Sept. 26, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 CaAIr/PaL CHRD INVENTOR. .[0 5.5 /7 MA??? FAD/O RECEIVER P0 WEE 1 fig Rscfmea 0N OFF 6 W/ rcH Hummer/o S PUSHEUTI' 01V- OFF l/a-l au's BY I LJM Q ATTORNEY.

PatentedJarn 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE amass I 1 DEVICE FOR RADIO RECEIVERS .I oseph Matt, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor of one- 4 third to Frank Sonneborn, .Ir., Sheboygan, and one-third to Henry Schimkat, Milwaukee, Wis. Application September 26, 1941, Serial No. 412,414

9 Claims. (Cl. 2150-20) This invention relates to an improvement in control devices for radio receivers of the character'which makes it convenient and practical to pre-select the broadcasting stations to be received over a current period of time and to predetermine.

the time when and the period over which the selected stations are to be received.

An object of the invention is to provide a control device of this character which is simple, compact. and closely organized in construction, which movable contacts may be advantageously consti-e tuted as brushes having fingers designed for direct contact engagement with the contact bars.

- The brushes are mounted on an endless carrier in is reliable and eflicient in operation, and which requires only ordinary intelligence and a very minimum of manipulation to obtain the maximum of its performance.

In utilizing the device no mechanical manipulations are required. It is only necessary for the user to select the programs which are to be heard and then to punch a controlling card to select the stations to be received and the times when and periods over which they are to be heard.

In carrying out the present invention, use is preferably made of the conventional push button radio receiver control equipped with an on" and oil switch ordinarily embodied in such a control. These so-called push button controls comprise generally a resonance varying device capable of selecting a certain signal frequency or a broadcasting station and ordinarily employing a plurality of independently operable push rods which function as wave length selectors. Combined with the push rods is a latching device which serves to hold any manipulated or actuated push'rod in operative position until some other one of the group is manipulated. p

The present invention provides an electric motor as a source of power for actuating the push rods, the electric motor being operatively interconnected with the operating mechanism for the rods. Usually it is convenient to provide a common actuator for the push rods, the actuator being driven from the motor by suitable motion transmission means. To provide for the selective actuation of the rods a clutch is interposed between each wave length selector and the common actuator, the clutches being normally disengaged and being shifted into engaged or operative position by individual electro magnets, one such magnet being provided for each clutch.

The energization of the magnets is controlled by-a novel type of switching arrangement, which generally includes a circuit for the magnets, with one terminal of each coil or each magnet connected to the one side of the circuit. and the, other. terminal of each coil of each magnet connected to a fixed contact which may conveniently comthe .form of a pair of endless sprocket chains. Interposed between the brushes and the fixed contact ban is an insulating control card which is punched to regulate the electrical contact made between the brushes and the contact bars. The brushes are connected to the opposite side of the circuit from that to which the stationary contact bars are connected.

The electrical motor is utilized not only for driving the actuator oi the wave length selectors. but is also employed to advance the endless carrier for the. brushes with a step-by-step motion. For this purpose the circuit of the motor has incorporated therein two switches, one a time control switch which periodically opens and closes in such-fashion as to initiate the operating cycle of the motor. The other switch incorporated in tion upon the subsequent closing of the time 0011- trol switch. With this arrangement the motor operates at predetermined intervals-for example, every fifteen minutes, but, of course, a broadcasting station is tuned in only at the time the controlling card has been punched to eflect a selection.

In order to save the control cards from undue wear and tear, the device is constructed so that when the mechanism is idling, the brushes are out of wiping contact with the cards. but for every period at which a selection is or may be made, the brushes are pressed for a short interval into direct engagement with the card, and. consequently also, into direct contact engagement with their cooperable contact bars if thecontrol card is punched to provide for such engagement. For accomplishing this purpose a presser plate is combined with the brushes. and is shiftable into and out 0! engagement therewith. Forfshifting the presser into and out of engagement with the brushes suitable motion transmission means is provided 7 between the presser plate and the armature shaft hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended cl ref ing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and lb which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal, vertical cross section, showing an automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the .device shown in Figure 1, the enclosing structure provided at the front being omitted in Figure '2 for the sake of illustration;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the inside of the enclosing structure applied to the front of the device;

Figure 4 is a view in top plan of the machine as shown in Figure 1, parts being omitted for the sake of illustration;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical cross section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4 and illustrating elements of the mechanism employed to advance with a step-by-step motion the endless carrier for the brushes of the selector switch mechanism;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross section, taken on line 6-8 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken on line 1-4 of Figure 6 and illustrating the motor controlled limit switch which Figure 8 is a detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the time controlled switch employed to initiate each operating cycle of the motor; e

Figure 9 is a detail view in elevation of the insulating control card which is adapted to be punched to regulate or select the radio stations to be received and the time at which they are to be received;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuits employed in the device; and

Figure ii is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the construction of movable brush-like contacts and their cooperable restraining or guide members.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device includes a suitable housing or casing, designated generally at I. This housing may be of any suitable construction or the device may be built into a cabinet of a radio receiver. As illustrated, the housing I includes a base 2 on which the various elements of the device are supported. The front 3 of the housing is preferably equipped with a removable panel or door 4 which may be hingedly supported as at I on the front wall of the housing and releasably secured in closed posiflon by a manually operable latch or fastener 6.

The present invention proposes to employ any standard or conventional station selector for radioreceiving sets. The construction illustrated is the so-called push button tuning arrangement which incorporates some suitable resonance varying-device capable of selecting a certain signal frequencyor a certain broadcasting station and ordinarily employing a plurality of independently operable push rods ll equipped with push buttons ll slidably supported on the device 8. .The push rods II are biased to idle position by springs l2, and when any push button is pressed to move its push rod to operative position, it is releasably secured in such position by means of a latch I: which functions, however, to release the push so held when any other one of the group is moved to operative position. Combined with the mass .to the push rods II and the like the latter equipped with a push button II at its outer end. The present invention provides an electric motor I! as a source of power for actuating the push rods, The armature shaft of the motor is operatively connected to and drives suitable reduction gearing l8 incorporated in the gear box l1. when the motor is running this gearin drives a driven shaft it at an appropriate slow speed.

One end of the shaft It is equipped with a crank it having a crank pin 20 pivotally connected to one end of a link 2|. The opposite end of the link II is pivotally connected to the upper end or a crank arm 22 fixed to and extending upwardly from a shaft 23 supported for rocking movement in suitable bearings provided therefor on the housing. Downwardly extending crank arms 2! are fixed to the shaft 23 and are .eachpivotally connected to one end of a double link 2!, the opposite end of each double link being connected to one leg 21 of an actuating ball 2!. The bail 28 hasthe lower ends of its legs 21 pivotally sup ported on a shaft 2! andis designed and arranged so that its body portion 28' overlies all of the push rods whereby the bail 28 is adapted to serve as a common actuator for the entire group of push rods Ill and it.

To provide-for the selective actuation of the push rods it and Hi from the actuator II, a clutch is interposed between each push rod and the actuator. Each said clutch may conveniently take the form of a headed clutch pin II, the shank of the pin being slidably fitted in an opening provided in'the pushrod. If desired, the opening may be countersunk and the pin appropriately beveled so that the top surface of its head lies flush with the top surface of the push rod when in disengaged position. "By resorting to this structure the heads of the pins may be disposed closer to the poles of their control magnets. The pins are made of metal having appropriate magnetic permeability and are biased by their weight to disengaged position. An individual electro-magnet I2 is provided for each clutch pin 3|. Each magnet 32 includes as usual a winding or coils II and a core 34, and, of course. a suitable mounting bracket or frame. When the coil of any one of the magnets is energized the magnetic flux pulls the clutch pin 3| associated with the magnet upwardly so that it is in position to be engaged by the body portion II of the bail-like actuator 2|. Consequently, the actuator will function to press the push rod whose pin II it engages inwardly and move it to its operative position wherein the resonance varying device lelects a certain signal frequency or broadcasting station. Upon de-energization of such magnet 32 its clutch pin 3. drops down to a position below the body'portion II of the actuator 28 so that the actuator is then ineflective to transmit any motion to the push rod.

'I'he motor I! is periodically operated. Each operating cycle of the motor I! is initiated by a time controlled switch, designated generally at 35. A motor controlled limit switch, designated generally at II, is employed to terminate each aseasoa to engage their fixed contacts, and they are a moved to disengaged position by means of a double cam 48 fixed to the minute hand arbor 31 and wiping against cam follower lugs 44 and 45 provided on the movable contacts M and 42,

respectively.

The motor controlled switch is shown in Fi ures 6 and 7 and includes a pair of fixed contacts 48 and 41 which may be of the spring blade type. Each of said contacts 48 vand 41 has one end fixed to a binding post 48 carried on an insulating .panel 48. The lower ends of the contacts 48 and 41 bear against the periphery of a rotarydisc 58 constituted of insulating material and having a conducting segment ii on its periphery and extending for substantially one-half of the circumferential extent thereof. The 'disc 58 is fixed to a short shaft 52 rotatably mounted in a bearing 82' carriedsby the gear box IT. The shaft BI is driven by reduction gearing 53 from the driven shaft I8 of the reduction bearing I8. The segment is provided with an extension 64 of electrical conductive material which extends across the outside face thereof and is in rotative engagement with a conducting blade 55 which is carried by themsulating panel 48 and is connected to one side of the circuit. The arrangement is such in the device illustrated in the drawings that the motor circuit is closed by the time controlled switch 35 at fifteen minute intervals. The motor then starts to run and continues to run until it has completed its operating cycle. At the completion of this operating cycle the limit switch breaks the motor circuit and terminates the action.

A circuit is provided for the electric magnets 32. One terminal of each coil of each of the magnets is connected by a conductor 88 and its branches 8I to one terminal or a step-down transformer 82. The other terminal of the stepdown transformer is electrically connected to presser plate 85 to be hereinafter, more fully described. The opposite terminal of each coil of each electro-magnet 32 is connected by a. wire 88 to an elongated contact bar 84. There is one such contact bar 84 for each magnet 82. These contact bars 84 may be conveniently supported in parallel spaced relation on the door 4. While they are closely adjacent they are separated sufficiently to be insulated from each other. The control card, designated generally at 85, is' supcertain signal frequency. The card may also be employed to display an'advertising matter. As illustrated, each double row of figures and graduations represent fifteen minute intervals of an eighteen hour day. Any of these intervals designated on the card 88 may 'be punched to preselect the turning off of the radio or the tuming on of it at any selected time for any selected station which the card is designed to control.

1 ported against these contact bars, and if desired a Movable brush-like contacts, designated generally at 15 and 18, are provided to cooperate with the control card 88 and the fixed contacts 84. The contacts 15 and 18 are of identical construction and each includes a rod I8. extending transversely between and'pivotally interconnected with links of sprocket chains 18 and 18, the end portions of the rods II- replacing four connecting pins of the sprocket chains. A

sleeve 15v loosely encircles each rod I8. and is formed with transversely spaced arcuate slots 150. Each of these contacts I8 and 18 also includes a row of resilient contact fingers ll of approximately V shape. Each contact finger I1 'has its bight portion confined between its rod 18a and its sleeve 15b and has its end portions pro- Jecting outwardly through a slot 15c as clearly shown in Figure 11. Restraining or guide members 8I are combined with the contacts 18 and I8 and each includes a rod 8h. carried by the sprocket chains in the same manner as the rods 155' and a sleeve 8Ib loosely surrounding each rod 8|. and disposed between the end portions of the contact fingers 11.

away from the control card and the contact fingers I! are so dimensioned and positioned that I5 and 18. The plate 85 is supported by a parallel link arrangement so as to be shiftabie into and out of engagement with the contact fingers I5 and I8. The parallel link arrangement includes lower links 88 and upper links 81. The lower links are freely pivoted on a pivot shaft 88. The upper links 81 are fixed to a rock shaft 89. The lower ends of the links 88 and 81 are pivotally interconnected with the projecting ends of shafts 88' and 81', respectively, the intermediate portions of the shafts 88 and 81' being fixed to the rear face of the presser plate 85. A crank arm 88 is fixed to the rock shaft 88 and has its lower end connected to a link 8|, the opposite end of the link 8| being connected to a crank pin 82 projecting laterally from a. crank arm 83 fixed to the driven' shaft I8.

The endless sprocket chains I8 and 88 constitute an endless carrier for the movable contacts or brushes I5 and I8. As illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 4 these sprocket chains I8 and 88 are trained about driving sprockets 88 fixed on the drive shaft 88 and about idler sprockets 81 fixed on the idler shaft 88. A ratchet wheel 88 to one side of the ratchet. wheel 88. A pawl or detent IN is pivoted on the outer end of the pawl carrying lever. [88 and is biased by spring I82 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 88. A link I88 interconnects the crank arm 88 and the pawl carrying lever I88, the link having one end pivotally interconnected with an intermeu diate portion of the crank arm 88 andhaving its other end pivotally interconnected with an intermediate portion of the pawl carrying lever I88. Retrograde motion of the ratchet wheel 88' isprevehted by detent I84';pivoted on the hous- I ing and biased by spring I88 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 88.

The chains 18 and 88 are supported a slight distance By having two sets of brushes or movable contacts It and II itispracticaltouseasmalisiss controlling card It and yet have a mole of selection over an eighteen hour day, the fingers I1 oi the brushes It coacting with one member of each double row while the fingers II of brushes Ii are positioned to contact with the other. The brushes or movable contacts 15 and I. are successively operable. More-specifically, when the contact 15 is disposed between the presser plate I! and the control card OI it is the operating orcontrolling contact, and at such time the contact'ltisdisposedtotherearofthepresser plate It and is idling. After the fingers II of the contacts It have traversed their. rows of the control card 66, the situation is reversed, in that the contact It becomes the controlling contact and the contact 15 to the rear of the plate a and idles.

As illustrated in Figure 10, the power unit ll.

of the radio receiver III is connected across a 110 volt line by means of a'conductor I" and a conductor I, the automatic push button on and "oiI" switch 8 being incorporated in the trolling card is inserted in its receiving slots in the door or'panel l of the device, it is interposed between the movable contact fingers I1 and their cooperable-contacting bars M. Then when the mechanism constituting the present invention is plugged in or electrically connected to a source otcurrent, the motor It will be periodically actuated. In the design illustrated, the motor I! is actuated every fifteen minutes. When the motor llruns it rotates the shaft II. This causes crank pin 82 to act through link ll, crank arm 90, rock shaft II' and parallel links 81 and It to advance the presser plate 85 toward the contacting fingers II and It and press them against the controlling card 65. The sprocket chains I9 and 80 flex sumciently to permit, this action. If the portion of the card which the fingers engage is punched, then oneof the fingers will engage one of the contact bars 84 so as to energize one of the magnets I2, thereby engaging its clutch 30 or pulling it up to position where it is adapted to be enc sed by the body portion II of the actuator 28. The motor also functions through crank pin 2., link 2|, crank arm 12, shaft 23, crank arm II, and links 26 to :illate the actuator 28 at this time, thereby o providing for the pressing of a push bar from idle to operative position and consequently selecting a certain broadcasting station or a certain signal frequency or turning oil! the receiver,

depending on how card Cl is punched. More-' able contact fingers 11 so that the magnet I!- that has been energized is deenergized. thereby permitting the clutch pin of its push rod to drop back to disengaged position. And as the presser plate 85 moves rearwardly away from the contact fingers the pawl iii coacts with the ratchet wheel 95 to impart a partial turn to drive shaft llandtherebyadvancetheendlesscarrierananimus v other step. when the motor has completed these functions, the motor-driven limit switch a breaks the motor circuit and terminates the cycle although the switch 36 is repositioned for the next cycle.

While I have shown and described one construction in which the invention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that the construction shown has been selected merely for the purpose or illustration or example, and

- that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the parts may be made without scope of the subioined claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a resonance varying device including a plurality of independently operabl wave length selectors, a common actuator for said selectors, a clutch between each selector and said actuator, each clutch being biused to disengaged position, an individual electro-magnet for each clutch, each of said magnets acting, when energized to engage the clutch with said actuator, an electric motor, motion transmission mechanism between said motor and said actuator, a circuit for said motor, a time controlled switch incorporated in said circuit and acting to periodically close the same and initiate an operating cycle of said motor, a motor controlled limit switch also incorporated in said circult and operable. .to open the same and terminate each operating cycle of said motor, a circuit tor said electromagnets, each coil of each magnet having one terminal connected to one side of the circuit, individual elongated contact bars connected to the opposite terminal of the coil of each of said magnets, said contact bars being insulated from each other, an endless carrier supported adjacent said contact bars, means sotuated by the motor for advancing the carrier with a step-by-step motion, a series of contact brushes mounted on the carrier, connected to the opposite side '01 said last-named circuit from that to which said contact bars are connected.

anism for radioreceivers comprising a resonance varying device having a plurality of independently operable wave length selectors, each of said selectors acting when moved to operative posi tion to select a certain broadcasting station, actuating means for said selectors, an electric motor i'or driving said actuating means, a circuit {or said motor, a time controlled switch incorporated in said motor circuit for periodically closing the same to initiate each operating cycle for the motor, a motor actuated limit switch incorporated in said circuit and acting to open the circuit and terminate each operating cycle of the motor and to provide for a subsequent closing of the circuit when the time controlled switch again closes, electrically controlled means for selectively a. as

establishing a driving connection between said actuating means and one of said wave length selectors, and card controlled switch mechanism for regulating the energization and de-energization of said-electrically controlled means. .3. Anautomstictimocontrolledtuningmechasoaaes providing for the subsequent closing of said cir.

cuit when the time controlled switch again closes and card controlled switch mechanism for regulating the action of said operating mechanism.

4. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising tuning means including a plurality of independently magnets to be energized and thetime of their 'energization, and a presser plate actuated by the motor and 'cooperable with the brushes for connecting them to the opposite side of the last named circuit from that to which said elongated contacts are connected and for pressing them toward the elongated contacts during each op- 'erating cycle of the motor.

6. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a resonance varying device including a plurality of independently operable wave length selectors, an independently operable on and 'ofi" switch, operating mechanism for selectively moving the selectors from an idle to an operative position and for moving the "on and "oil!" switch to an "01! position, an electric motor, motion transmission operable-tuning elements, each tuning element functioning when moved from idle to operative positions to select a broadcasting station 01' a certain frequency, an actuator for said tuning elements, a clutch between each element and said actuator, each clutch being biased to disengaged position, an individual electric magnet for each clutch, each or said magnets acting when energized to enga e its clutch with the actuator, a circuit for said magnets, switch mechanism for regulating the energization and de-energization of the magnets including fixed contacts, movable contacts, and an insulating card interposed tacts and adapted to be punched to provide for the engagement oi the movable contacts with the, fixed contacts, an electric motor, driving means for said movable contacts actuated from the motor, a circuit for the motor, a time controlled switch incorporated in said circuit to pe- I between the movable contacts and the fixed conriodically close the motor circuit to initiate an operating cycle of the motor, and a motor-driven limit switch also incorporated in the motor circuit and functioning to terminate each operating cycle 01 the motor.

5. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising resonance varying devices including a plurality of independently operable wave length selectors, a common actuatori'or said selectors, a clutch between each selector and said actuator, each clutch bein biased to disengaged position, an individual electro-magnet for each clutch, each of said magnets acting when energized' to engage its clutch with said actuator, an electric motor, motion transmission mechanism between said motor and said actuator, a circuit for said motor, a time controlled switch incorporated in said circuit to periodically close the same and initiate an op erating cycle of the motor, a motor controlled limit switch also incorporated in said circuit and functioning to terminate each operating cycle of the motor, a circuit for said electro-magnets, each coil of each magnet having one terminal connected to one side or the last mentioned circuit, an elongated contact connected to thawposite terminal of each of said coils, said contacts being insulated from each other, an endless carrier supportedgadjacent said contacts, means driven by the electric motor for advancing the carrier with step-by-step. motion, a series 01' contact brushes mounted on the carrier in cooperative'relation to said fixed contacts, an insulating card interposed between the brushes and the contacts adapted-to be punched to preselect the 'means between said motor and said operating mechanism, a circuit for said motor, a'time controlled switch incorporated in said circuit to periodically close the same and initiate an operating cycle of said motor, a motor controlled limit 7 switch also incorporated in said circuit and operable to open the same to terminate the cycle of said motor but providing for the subsequent closing of said circuit when the time controlled switch again closes, and card controlled switch mechanism for regulating the action of said operating mechanism.

7. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising a resonance varying device including a plurality of independently operable wave length selectors, operating mechanism for selectively moving the selectors from an idle to an operative position, an electric motor, motion transmission means between said motor and said operating mechanism, a circuit for the motor, means incorporated in the circuit to periodically close the same and initiate an.

operating cycle 01 said motor and also to open the same to terminate a cycle of operation of the motor while providing for its subsequent'closing 8. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising "a plurality of independently operable tuning elements, each tuning element iunctioning when moved from idle to operative position to select a certain broadcasting station, operating mechanism for selectively moving the tuning elements from an idle to an operativeposition, electro-magn'ets operable to select the tuning elements to be actuated by said operating mechanism, an electric motor,

motion transmission means establishing a driving connection between said motor and said operj ating mechanism, a circuit for said motor, means incorporated in said circuit to periodically close the same and initiate an operating cycle of said motor, and also acting to break the motor circuit upon the completion of each operating cyclee of the motor, a circuit for said electro-magnets,

card controlled switch mechanism incorporated in said last mentioned circuit and including an individual elongated fixed contact ior each magnet, each of said contacts and its magnet being connected to one side 0! said last named circuit.

-said contacts being insulated from each other,

an endless 681118! SIIDDOM adjacent 1d contacts. means driven by the electric motor for ad-.

vancing the carrier in a siep-by-step motion. a series oi contact brushes mounted on the carrier and disposed adiacent to but spaced from said nxed contacts. an insulating card interposed between the brushes and the iised contacts and adapted to be punched to ore-select the magnets tobeenergieedand thetimeoitheirenergiaation.

' asezses toward said elongated contacts during each operating cycle of the motor.

9. An automatic time controlled tuning mechanism for radio receivers comprising tuning means including a plurality of independently operable tuning control elements. each tuning control element functioning when moved {pom idle to operative position to select a station of a certain frequency. an actuator for said tuning control elementnerclutch between each element and said actuator. each clutch being biased to disengaged position. an individual electro-magnet tor each clutch, each oi said magnets acting when energised to engage its clutch with the actuator. switch mechanism controlling the energizatlcn and deenergization of said munch and a punched card enacting with the switch mechanism to open and closethe same.

JOSEPH MATT. 

